


Mottled

by KnifeBinaryPrince



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Black Markets, Captivity, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merperson Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 14:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16328057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnifeBinaryPrince/pseuds/KnifeBinaryPrince
Summary: His first owner had lost their eye for their troubles.The second owner his arm.Which was why he was chained and muzzled like he was, angrily hissing every time the truck he was in met a bump on the road or turned too tightly on corners.As the truck rumbled on Keith laid curled up on the grimy floor of the crate, hair either plastered to his pale skinned face or floating a bit on the water that was still left inside for him. He grumbled as he felt his wrist with one of his hands, dead scales sliding against the new. He hadn’t been cleaned properly in what felt like years and might have been too.He lost count after the first couple of months.





	Mottled

**Author's Note:**

> oof, took a few hours but I managed to crank out this beauty and before work no less!!!
> 
> Enjoy and tell em what you think!

It was cold and dark.

 

Then again it was always cold and dark for Keith.

 

Sometimes there was a shaking and rumbling too.

 

Like now for instance.

 

The water he was given to sit in splashed and rose over the edge of whatever specialized crate he was in, not that he cared much. It was stagnant and dirty at this point, feeling a bit slimy under the sensitive pads of his hands, claws cutting through grime as they curled on the crate bottom.

 

He didn’t know where he was headed to this time, maybe to another exotic pet owner. Or to another round of fights where he rose the victor in a pool of blood not of his own.

 

He hated those times.

 

They hadn’t beat or starved him the last couple of weeks so he guessed it was another pet owner. One eager for a good mer to look at and admire through thick protected glass as if it were some fish and not a sentient thing capable of thought and complex emotions.

 

He curled both his arms up towards his jaw, trying to get under the muzzle they had actually managed to get on him this time. They learned the first few times that contrary to his species nature and behavior as koi he was not one for acting gentle. And he made it known.

 

His first owner had lost their eye for their troubles.

 

The second owner his arm.

 

Which was why he was chained and muzzled like he was, angrily hissing every time the truck he was in met a bump on the road or turned too tightly on corners.

 

As the truck rumbled on Keith laid curled up on the grimy floor of the crate, hair either plastered to his pale skinned face or floating a bit on the water that was still left inside for him. He grumbled as he felt his wrist with one of his hands, dead scales sliding against the new. He hadn’t been cleaned properly in what felt like years and might have been too.

 

He lost count after the first couple of months.

 

The truck engine reverberated through the small trailer he was currently kept in, the space sparse and devoid of anything other than him and the crate he was in. His thoughts started to wander, navy violet eyes closing as he somehow curled even tighter on himself. Thoughts and memories of warm sun and a blinding smile appeared behind his eyelids, fingers curling with claws digging into his palms as he tried to remember the feeling of the soft wet grass at the water’s edge that he’d grasp and cling to whenever he wanted to get on shore.

 

Other images made themselves known, of a dark green jacket that would sometimes get placed over his upper body, helping with covering himself from the sun.

 

He burned too easily he remembers him saying.

 

Bright red shoulders and medium brown hands rubbing in the soothing cream that eased the pain.

 

The smell of food freshly made and still warm that was given to him. A gift that never failed to give him enough incentive to leave the water.

 

Teeth so blindingly white in a grin that never failed to make his own mouth mirror such happiness.

 

Dark brown hair so warm and golden in the sun, feeling as soft as what he imagined the clouds to be.

 

The truck lurched and stopped, causing his body to hit the side of his crate painfully.

 

Light burned his eyes as the door of the truck opened, loud hisses leaving his throat that even the muzzle couldn’t mask fully. He thrashed as they dragged his crate out, letting it fall to the ground with a thud that jarred him but didn’t deter him from his violent outburst.

 

The men kicked and cursed at his crate, another human far in front of him looking nervous and pensive as they looked at him.

 

And he looked back with the intention of making sure every ounce of burning hatred and anger he had towards them were openly seen in his eyes.

 

It must’ve been if the conversation that followed were anything to go by.

 

“You said it was docile.” They reminded the two men that had brought him out.

 

“It’s just mad it’s in a cage, it’ll mellow out.” They assured the buyer.

 

“It’s chained and muzzled and has more scars than I can count, you said it was docile and as gentle as a lamb and this looks anything but!” They insisted, tapping their foot angrily.

 

“Look, either take it or leave it, we went through a lot of trouble finding this koi here and either way we still got paid, no refunds remember?” One of the men said gruffly.

 

The background noise sounded like that of a bustling market, one of the underground types if Keith had to guess. He’d been to his fair share through his time in captivity, however long that was.

 

“I can’t have this thing around my kids!” They hissed back, “I want my money back!”

 

“We don’t give refunds, so either take it or leave it.” The man said, his voice taking a hard edge to it.

 

Before the conversation could get any further towards the fight that was brewing a feminine voice interrupted both parties.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Both parties turned towards the voice, Keith turning himself to see better as well.

 

It was a woman, dressed to impress in a what looked like a custom made suit fit for someone of royalty, her stark white hair up in a high ponytail that poofed out in some sort of halo behind her.

 

“Are you the owner of the mer right there?” She asked, pointing towards Keith. A low growl leaving his throat as she did so.

 

The irritated buyer nodded, eyebrow quirked up curiously at her inquiry.

 

She seemed to brighten up at that, clapping her hands together excitedly, “Wonderful, may I get a closer look at him? Just a for a moment.” She asked politely.

 

The buyer nodded, not really seeing any point in denying her request and part curious as to what she was doing. She didn’t seem the type that would frequent or even step a foot inside one of these places.

 

With a polite nod she walked towards the crate Keith was in, ignoring his growls and hisses of warning. The two men stepped aside for her, watching curiously as she procured a flashlight from her pocket and shined it on the mer. Keit hissed and cowered away from it, the intensity of it hurting his eyes.

 

Finding all she needed she pocketed it, standing up and turning to talk to the buyer. “I couldn’t help but overhear earlier that he wasn’t quite what you were looking for, might I take him off your hands? With proper compensation of course.” She added, blue eyes focused on the buyer.

 

“I mean…yeah, you could. But do you have ten grand on you?” They asked her, a bit skeptical.

 

Within a flash she had her checkbook out along with a pen, scrawling through the motions and ripping it free from the book with a flourish, handing it over to them without another word.

 

“Is this enough to cover?”

 

The stood, silent and mouth gaping as they looked at the piece of paper handed to them.

 

“Are you sure you didn’t accidentally write and extra zero or?”

 

“I assure you that what’s written there is what I’m giving. Do we have a confirmed exchange?” She asked, watching them thoughtfully.

 

“Y-yeah, yeah of course!” They stammered, pocketing the check before shaking her hand in thanks and leaving without another word, a slight skip in their step as they did.

 

The mystery women smiled, writing out two more checks before presenting them to the two men who’s reactions were pretty much the same as the buyer’s.

 

“I want this mer carried carefully like he’s fine china to my truck out back, is that going to be a problem?”

 

Both men shook their heads, working to lift the crate carefully and follow her through the dense crowd, ignoring the sharp hisses of the once more angry mer inside.

 

* * *

 

Lance thrummed his fingers against his knee, leg bouncing with restless energy as he looked out the bus window. His earphones were in, some song he’d downloaded awhile ago playing through his head, nothing but a buzz of background noise from the thoughts that ran through his mind.

 

He sprung up as the bus came to his stop, jumping across to land on the sidewalk in a smooth step and continuing on as the bus made a lurching noise and continued on it’s route, leaving him in a cloud of exhaust that he found himself scrunching up his face at. He walked the regular route to his apartment, not in the mood to go through any of his usual shortcuts to get home. Which is probably why the car was able to drive up beside him like it knew where he was.

 

Blue eyes locked on similar blue eyes, covered by tinted shades as the window to the passenger side rolled down, the car stopping completely as Lance stopped with it.

 

“Get in you gorgeous fuck, it’s your birthday and I spent good money on you so you owe me anyways!” Allura yelled, causing Lance to laugh as he shook his head. He opened the passenger side door to her car, moving his backpack off his back and into his arm to set it on the floor, sitting in the cushioned leather seat right after.

 

“Llura you don’t have to-”

 

“Uh uh, nope, you don’t say a word, you take my love and these sparkly gifts I will bestow upon you and you will like it!” She pressed, holding a finger up like a mother would their child to get them to quiet down.

 

“Is that a patented Allura Guarantee™?” He joked, turning to her with a blinding grin as he got comfortable.

 

“You know it is.”

 

“Where are we headed to anyway?” Lance asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence, the radio playing softly as background noise. The urban scenery turning into suburban and then a forest of trees as they left the city behind them.

 

“You’ll see.” She grinned, smiling to herself as she readjusted her shades and kept her pristinely manicured hands on the steering wheel.

 

Lance just slouched back in his seat, popping his ear buds in as he waited as however long it would take to get to their destination, head pressed against the glass as his eyes stared blankly out of the window.

 

Surprisingly it was only a few more minutes before they reached their destination. Lance noticing how they were maybe just a few miles outside of city limits, still able to see the neighborhood houses of the suburban areas and the taller structures after.

 

When he turned away from that sight to look at where they were his jaw dropped. They were parked in front of a house (if you could even call it that) built into the hillside. The whole aesthetic reminding him of some rich CEO that had made it big when they were young or just starting out.

 

The colors were soft earth tones, pulling it all together in more of a homely feel even with the minimalist design of it.

 

“Come on.” Allura ushered, breaking him from his trance. He threw his bag over his shoulder, following her up the steps leading to the front door. With a flourish of keys and a second later they were inside, Allura telling him to get comfortable as she went inside before him.

 

Lance took off his shoes and coat, setting his bag down against the wall and padded softly with socked feet down the hall. He was greeted with a large space, the living room he guessed was to his right, facing a huge wall of glass that overlooked the winding road they had used to drive up the city beyond the forest.

 

It was a lovely sight, the mist congregating near the tops of the trees, sunlight playing on it and giving the whole view an ethereal look to it that took his breath away.

 

“Watch your step!” Allura yelled, causing him to jump.

 

He looked down at his feet, eyes widening when he looked at the water present. It was like a canal of sorts, leading from under the wide double doors that stood closed to his left and cut through to the living room, creating a large moat around the living room furniture and all around at the base of the glass wall. The only way to cross it with how wise and deep it was were polished metal grates that covered only a small portion of canal, just enough for someone to walk over without covering the whole thing.

 

“Hey Allura? What’s with all this water?”

 

“Take a look around!” She yelled from who knew where, pointedly ignoring his question.

 

He huffed, blowing a breath through his lips as he continued walking, coming to the bridged grate and pausing, a flash of orange catching his eye.

 

It was a flicker of orange that came up through the dark looking water and kneeling down to take a closer look he realized the moat was just naturally dark that way. Upon closer inspection he noticed a small fish swimming in it, a koi by the looks of it, the small thing no bigger than his hand swimming in small circles, looking interested in getting back beyond the double doors.

 

Looking back around Lance noticed how there didn’t seem to be anything in the continued moat to suggest it was built to support a koi, so it was likely the little guy had jumped over and gotten separated from the other side.

 

He kneeled back down, rolling up his long sleeve before he opened the doors. With quick hands he grabbed the fish and quickly threw it over the small gate that separated the living room water from beyond, watching the fish swim into…

 

“Holy shit.”

 

His eyes met a large pool, if he had to guess it was probably olympic sized at the __least.__

__

From here he could see the clear waters in the shallow end, grasses and lily pads growing up from the deeper ends and floating near the shallows. Young willow trees grew up from spots at the sides of the pool, their branches and leaves tickling the water, the spots specially made out for them ensuring they would have plenty of room to grow.

 

Koi fish of every color and size swam in it, moving lazily about, a few even coming towards the surface curiously to look at him. And there were a few that were achingly familiar.

__

__Really__ familiar.

 

“Are these…”

 

“Got them imported from that lake you talked about, the one you went to when you were younger? Took a bit to get them all and get them acclimated but I think they’re doing great.”

 

“Allura what?-”

 

She put a finger to her lips, quieting him down instantly as he looked at her with something like hope that he refused to let flare up for fear of it being broken down yet again.

 

She pointed a finger towards the pool, Lance barely registering the sound of the doors closing when she left. Blue eyes focused on the large shape coming towards him from the deeper end of the pool, crawling ever closer, the mottled color of the scales and the sheer size of whatever it was causing a large flare of hope to burn through his chest.

 

He felt more than saw goosebumps appear on his skin, attention focused so much on that slow moving shape he didn’t notice he was waist deep in the water until he bumped into one of the larger lily pads that grew from the depths of the pool.

 

He barely paid it any mind as the slow moving shape moved around him in slow circles, the lily ads that grew a lot denser in this part hiding enough that he could only just make out familiar mottled scales, multiple unfamiliar scars crossing and cutting through the patterns.

 

“Keith?” Lance’s voice shook, sounding broken and whispered, hands down at his side with fingers curling in the water.

 

Whatever it was stopped circling him, and everything seemed to still.

 

Only to be abruptly broken when said mer lunged out of the water and into Lance’s arms. Keith’s own mottled arms wrapping around the human’s neck, burying his face in the soft junction between his neck and shoulder, happy trills leaving his throat as the scent of sunshine and soft smelling oils surrounded his senses.

 

Lance nearly fell back into the water trying to balance with Keith’s weight added to the mix. It only took a moment for him to reciprocate the hug, long arms wrapping around a slick, pale waist and tightening to get a proper grip on the mer he hadn’t see in __so long.__

__

The tears that spilled over his cheeks must have hit the mer’s bare skin, the other pulling away just enough to look at his face, short, curious trills leaving his throat as dark navy violet eyes looked at his face.

 

__“Why sad?”__  Keith signed, improvising with one hand for the signs since his other was currently the only thing holding him close to Lance.

 

“I’m not sad I promise just…glad to have you back mullet.” Lane whispered quietly, pressing his forehead to Keith’s, the mer’s hair making his own wet and plastered to his forehead.

 

Keith put his arm back around Lance’s neck, the two just relishing in the quiet offered by the space they were in.

 

He took that moment to take a good look at Lance, the other having grown more over the years. He had filled out more, something Keith noticed when he first saw him, looking vastly different from the lanky boy he’d met at his lake years ago. Which was why he had paused and circled him for a few times to make sure it really was him.

 

Now that he was a lot closer he could admire him better, dark eyes roving over clear skin and pink lips, the faint freckles that dotted his nose and cheeks, barely visible if you weren’t this close to him to see, appearing a dark bronze against gold skin from the lingering bit of sunlight that streamed in from the glass walls that surrounded them and the pool.

 

So engrossed in his exploration he startled when a light laugh left Lance, the other looking at him with eyes so blue the sky couldn’t even hold a candle to it. And with that color focused solely on him Keith found himself flustered, face warming at the attention, even more so when Lance freed an arm to cup his face in his palm, the warm touch a welcome relief from the cool air and water, leaning into it with a light flutter of his eyes.

 

He didn’t miss the thumb that rubbed ever so gently at the scar he’d gotten on his cheek, or the way Lance leaned in ever so carefully to press the lightest and warmest of kisses against his own cold lips.

 

If Lance noticed the way Keith’s tail swayed happily in the water he didn’t give any indication of it.

 

And honestly?

 

Keith couldn’t wait for Lance to tease him about it later.


End file.
